What to know about the US Visa Waiver Scheme

Written by Luca

All travellers visiting or passing through the USA from select countries (including the UK) are required to fill in an online form to obtain authorisation for a US Visa Waiver, known as the 'Electronic System for Travel Authorisation', or 'ESTA'.

Although this can be filled in up to 72 hours before departure to the USA, we recommend that you fill in this form as soon as possible so any issues can be identified immediately. Please make sure that this form is filled out for all the passengers on your booking.

Your passport must be valid for at least six months after your planned departure date to the USA, and your ESTA will be valid for travel to the USA for two years from approval date or the duration of your passport validity, whichever is sooner.

The form can be found here: www.esta.cbp.dhs.gov. This will take you the US Department of Homeland Security web page where you can apply. Once there, please click on the New Application button and follow the instructions.

Please note that although you can fill in all the details requested on the online form, only the fields marked with a "*" are required. If you have any questions about this please don’t hesitate to contact us.

The landing page for the US Customs and Border Protection's ESTA application homepage.

Please note that if you have visited certain countries, including Cuba, Iran, and Somalia during a certain period, you may not be able to obtain an ESTA. The application form will request further details and you will be notified if you are ineligible for the Visa Waiver Program due to this.